PASSING THE TORCH
Younger generations keep the remembrance flame alive
CAMPBELL McIntyre never met his great-grandfather Charles Crombie, but he knows what his legacy means for him.
The Toowoomba student will march proudly in the Anzac Day parade today with Squadron Leader Crombie’s medals pinned to his chest, carrying on the torch of remembrance to honour his greatgrandfather.
Campbell, a year six student at Toowoomba Anglican College and Preparatory School, said he was proud to be related to Sqn Ldr Crombie and march in his honour.
“It does feel like an honour, to wear all these medals,” he said, pointing to the replica medal set created from the originals.
Sqn Ldr Crombie was born in Brisbane but grew up on the family properties at Longreach and Warwick.
After enlisting in the Royal Australian Air Force in 1939, he flew twin-engine fighter bombers under the cover of darkness during the Allies’ campaign in the Middle East and North Africa.
Campbell said his greatgrandfather earned the Distinguished Service Order, just behind the Victoria Cross in significance, after an extraordinary encounter with Japanese fighter planes in India in 1943.
“He was actually flying back to his base and he came across four Japanese fighters and he actually shot two of them down and the third one he badly wrecked, and it probably crashed,” he explained.
“The fourth one hit above his wing and it was on fire and his fuel tank blew up.
“He crash landed in a swamp and his pants were on fire. He had to fight off a whole lot of native people because they were trying to capture him.”
Sqn Ldr Crombie tragically died just two weeks after the war ended during an aircraft training accident.
He was buried with full military honours near Newcastle, and his original medals are at the family property in Warwick.
Campbell said his family had re-enforced to him the sacrifice made his great-grandfather, along with all other servicemen and women.
“We have to pay our respects for people who fought in the war,” he said.